Investigations Stopped in Murtaza Bhutto murder case

Sunday, September 13, 2009
By Shamim Bano

Karachi

The investigation into the murder case of Mir Murtaza Bhutto was temporarily stopped on December 16, 1996 after suspension orders were served to AIG Noor Mohammed Pacheho who was conducting the investigations into the case FIR No 386/96 and 399/96.

This was disclosed by Noor Mohammed Pacheho in the court of Additional District and Session Judge East Aftab Ahmed Khan on Saturday during the case proceedings. Pacheho, who retired as a SSP in the year 2007, was conducting investigations into the case which started on October 10, 1996, adding that he continued it till he was suspended.

He deposed before the court that he had no records after December 16, 1996, neither had he appeared before any tribunal nor he recorded any statements. However he narrated the details of investigation he carried out, since he received orders of IG Sindh through DIG Crime branch to interrogate the accused.

From November 9 to December 16, 1996, he interrogated many accused allegedly involved in the murder of Mir Murtaza Bhutto. In his initial inquiry, which started in the month of October 1996, he said that a constitutional petition was filed by the widow of Mir Murtaza in the Sindh High Court in an FIR 386/98 which was lodged by a servant of Murtaza Noor Mohammed at Clifton Police Station.

Initially, investigation in this case was given to the SSP South AD Khawaja which was shifted on November 16 to Pacheho who was given an assignment for the arrest of accused ex-IB Chief Masood Sharif by DSP Agha Mir Ali. He flew to Lahore to get the transit remand of Sharif. On November 17, he obtained remand of Sharif from local court and recorded the statements of Ishaq Khakwani and Noor Mohammed, the complainants, along with other four prosecution witnesses in an FIR 399/96 lodged in Clifton police station.

Ex-IB chief Masood Sharif was sent on remand to judicial custody on November 19 till November 23. He also recorded the statement of Abdul Khaliq Soomro. On Novewmber 22, Pacheho interrogated one of the accused Shoib Suddle, ex-DIG Karachi and Masood Sharif and also submitted an interim charge sheet in an FIR 399/96 in the STA(Suppression of Terrorists Activities) (Special Courts) Act 1975, which were later abolished.

He also obtained remand of accused, the then SSP Wajid Ali Durrani, while on November 25, he told the court Bungalow No 4 of Minister Enclave was declared as sub-jail by the government of Sindh and Durrani was detained in this sub-jail. .

On November 27, 1996 he attended the proceedings in Sindh High Court tribunal headed by former Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid and on November 30, Masood Sharif was also detained in sub-jail along with Wajid Ali Durrani as per notification of Home Department of Sindh.

On December 2, the bail applications of the accused Agha jamil and others were rejected by the Sindh High Court. On the same day, pre-arrest bail of Shoib Suddle, Shahid Hayat and Rai Tahir were rejected by the Sindh High Court who then moved to Supreme Court and were granted bail.

On the same day he informed that Shabbir Qaim Khani and Agha Jamil were arrested by Inspector Mamraiz Khan from outside the SHC and their remand was taken by him on the same day

On December 3, he constituted an inquiry team comprising two members Inspector Saeed Tariq and Altaf Hussain for interrogation. The statements of the prosecution witnesses were recorded following day.

He flew to Islamabad on December 7 in connection with the application filed in the Supreme Court of Pakistan for confirmation of bail applications. On December 8, statements of Dr Mazher Memon and other were recorded.

On December 10, he interrogated Wajid Ali Durrani and Masood Sharif and issued a letter to SSP south asking about the details of arms and weapons issued to ASP Rai Tahir, Shahid Hayat and Faisal Hafeez. On December 11, Pacheho attended the proceedings of SHC regarding the bail before arrest application of former late Chief Minister Sindh Syed Abdullah Shah from Judicial Magistrate South. On December 14, he attended the proceedings of Supreme Court where bail applications of DIG Shoib Suddle, Rai Tahir and Shahid Hayat were heard.

On December 16, he attended the SC and SHC proceedings for the bail application of the accused. At this time he was crossed by the defence counsels of the accused to name the accused but he replied that he submitted a letter in the court which has names in it. On the same day his services were suspended through an order was issued by the Sindh government to stop the investigations. Pacheho maintained that since then he had no clue about the case.

The defence counsel insisted to produce the copy of statements he recorded in the court. The court however adjourned the hearing till October 3, after Eid.


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